Roll-M: What Lies Beneath |
What Lies Beneath (starring Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Diana Scarwid; screenplay by Clark Gregg, based on a story by Sarah Kernochan and Clark Gregg; co-produced and directed by Robert Zemeckis; rated PG-13).
Harrison Ford shows that at 57, he’s still got what it takes in this Hitchcockian adult thriller. Story has Michelle Pfeiffer as Ford’s wife, who spends much time alone in their new Vermont lake house. Enter the spooks. Things go bump in the day, the neighbors come under suspicion – in a not-so-subtle salute to Rear Window — and there is much red herring on the menu. Eventually, we learn the Terrible Secret, and suddenly the movie is a tribute to the Psycho shower scene. Bring a towel – much (perhaps too much) of this movie involves water. And you may never want to take a bath again.
This is Zemeckis’ first thriller – he’s best known for directing Back to the Future, Forrest Gump and Contact. His direction of Pfeiffer as the lead shows that he is a good "people" director. And Ford is excellent in one of his few anti-hero roles. There’s some tension/suspense, but over all, this film is not completely satisfying, and I found myself wondering what Hitch would have thought of it, or even better, how he would have handled it. Meanwhile, it’s generally worthwhile and a sophisticated cut above all those teen slasher movies the summer usually brings. (2 1/2 owls)